Just built up my new Dell 5521 Laptop with Linux and decided to incorporate a Squeezebox server on it. Some years back Logitech created an internet appliance for streaming music. Audiophiles loved it but the masses preferred their iPhones and iPods. So the squeezebox went the way of obscurity. But you can stream internet radio, Pandora, MOG, Spotify, not to mention your locally stored media library.......What’s not to love?

EVERY computer should be doing this. EVERY appliance should be doing this. Why not?

Be advised that my link is platform dependent. For example if you have a Raspberry Pi you’d need the armv6hf (ARMV6 hard float) version. Make sure you know what you are downloading. I have an Intel chip running a 64 bit operating system (Linux Mint).

If you don’t have Intel 64 bit go here for the various platform downloads.

Now do this:

sudo mv ./squeezelite-x86-64 /usr/bin/squeezelite

This moves the file and renames it. Easier to call, easier to type.

Now this to change the permissions:

sudo chmod ug+x /usr/bin/squeezelite

Now a lot of people would have you copy a script file to start and stop the squeezelite service but I’m just going to run it all the time.

If you did everything right it will list your output devices when you type this at a terminal:

squeezelite -lI want to use my USB DAC because it JUST SOUNDS BETTER than the onboard sound card. Note near the top it says front:CARD=DAC,DEV=0

Yer gonna need that. Copy it.

Also note there are a lot of devices to choose from on your onboard sound or external USB DAC. I had to screw around and figure out which one worked and which one didn’t. Selecting some could require screwing around with the alsa.conf file.

Now look at what I’m doing. I’m calling squeezelite, telling it what output device to use, giving it a name, and telling it where it lives. Dash o is the output device, dash n is the name, dash s is the server.

Type this:

squeezelite -o front:CARD=DAC,DEV=0 -n DELLMINT -s 127.0.0.1

Hit enter then open your browser and see if the DELLMINT name shows up as a player.HEY it did cuz I’m smart. I’m streaming a station from TuneIn radio.

Now if you want to Google your brains out and find a way to run a startup and stop script, be my guest. I’m just going to start it and run it.

One more thing. On Linux Mint if your firewall is enabled either turn it off

sudo ufw disable

or download gufw

sudo apt-get install gufw

and write a simple rule for allowing Logitech Media Server on port 9000

Now just to be sure lets make sure we’re getting hi-res out of the USB DAC.

ls /proc/asound

This tells me my USB DAC is card1

Now:

cat /proc/asound/card1/pcm0p/sub0/hw_params

tells me I’m putting out 24 bit audio and streaming at 44100. The card is 24/96 however the radio stream is 44.1 so that’s as good as that gets. If my source music file was 24/96 that’s what it would say. It’s working like it is supposed to!